Supervisor Jim Desmond • September 7, 2026
Before the First Storm: What We're Doing, and What I Need From You
Share
Supervisor Jim Desmond outlines County preparations and steps residents can take now.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is forecasting a strong El Niño this fall and winter, and the odds they're putting on it are the highest we've seen in decades.
I've lived in North County a long time. I know how this goes. We go weeks without a drop. Then one storm rolls through and we've got water across the road, mud coming off a hillside, and folks asking why nobody told them it was coming.
So consider this me telling you.
What the County is already doing
Our Public Works crews are out there right now doing the unglamorous work. Clearing storm drains. Cleaning out culverts. Pulling debris out of drainage channels from Fallbrook to Borrego Springs. It doesn't make the news and nobody thanks them for it, and it is the single biggest reason a heavy rain in this county becomes a puddle instead of a problem.
Once the rain starts, they shift to round-the-clock storm patrol. That means a crew ready to clear a blocked drain or close a flooded road at two in the morning, because that is usually when it happens.
Our Office of Emergency Services is coordinating with fire agencies, the Sheriff, and Cal Fire on evacuation planning, and our alert system is tested and ready to go.
That's your tax dollars doing exactly what they are supposed to do. Quietly, ahead of time, before anybody is watching.
None of that is contingent on a forecast. It happens every year, and it happens before anybody is watching.
Sandbags, and the smart way to do it
Let's start with the easy one. Ahead of storms, you can get free sandbags at fire stations throughout the county. They're free. They're there for you. At most locations you fill them yourself, so bring a shovel.
Here's the part most people miss. Don't wait for the storm in the forecast. The line at the fire station on a Friday afternoon before a system moves in is not where you want to be figuring this out.
Keep a stack of empty bags in the garage. They're a few bucks at any hardware store, they last for years, and then all you're doing is filling them.
Ten or fifteen bags placed right, across a low doorway or along a driveway that funnels water toward the house, can be the difference between a wet weekend and a claim on your insurance.
And on insurance: standard homeowners policies do not cover flood damage. Flood policies through the National Flood Insurance Program take 30 days to take effect. If that's a conversation you've been meaning to have with your agent, have it in September, not in January.
Three things I need from you
One. Register your cell phone at AlertSanDiego.org and download the SD Emergency app. This one matters more than anything else on this list. If we need to tell you a road is out, or that it's time to leave, that is how we reach you. It takes about two minutes and it costs you nothing.
Two. When you see water over the road, turn around, don't drown. I mean that. A few inches of moving water can carry a car away, and every single winter somebody in this state finds that out the hard way. No shortcut is worth it.
Check 511sd.com before you head out.
Three. Take one afternoon this fall. Clear your rain gutters. Walk your property and figure out where the water goes when it comes off your roof. Trim back anything that's coming down in a hard wind. If you live below a recent burn scar, pay extra attention. Burned ground doesn't absorb water, it sheds it fast, and it brings mud and debris down with it.
Then check on your neighbors, especially the older ones. Some of them can't get up on a ladder to clear a gutter, and some of them won't ask. That's what makes a community work, and it's the part no county government can do for you.
We'll be ready. Let's make sure you are, too.
As always, my door is open. Email me directly at jim.desmond@sdcounty.ca.gov, or call my office at 619-531-5555.
We're here to help.
San Diego County District 5 Supervisor Jim Desmond
https://www.supervisorjimdesmond.com/
In this video:
– Free sandbags at County fire stations (and when they're actually available)
– What Public Works crews are doing before the first drop falls
– How to make sure we can reach you when a road washes out
– Why "turn around, don't drown" isn't just a slogan
- Register for emergency alerts: AlertSanDiego.org
- Check road conditions before you drive: 511sd.com
- Download the SD Emergency app on iOS or Android
Questions, or need help from the County? Reach out anytime:
Jim.Desmond@sdcounty.ca.gov
(619) 531-5555
--------------------
Preparedness
Steps to Disaster Preparedness
- Create your own Personal Disaster Plan (available in 12 languages)
- Register your cell phones for emergency alerts
- Make an
Evacuation Go-Kit and a Shelter-in-Place Stay Kit
Learn More About Borrego Springs
